Cops now rely on paedophile-hunter vigilantes in HALF of grooming cases – so why are police chiefs trying to ban them?

Vigilantes feel that despite the incredible number of convictions they have won through their voluntary work, they are still sneered at by those at the top of policing. In the first week of 2018 alone, their stings led to 56 arrests

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By John Shammas

19th January 2018, 4:39 pm

Updated: 19th January 2018, 8:12 pm

COPS now use evidence from paedophile vigilantes in around half of child grooming prosecutions - despite growing concerns over how the groups operate.

Crime stats show an explosion in cases linked to the internet groups since 2014 - in the first week of 2018 alone, their stings led to 56 arrests.

Founder of Guardians of the North Joe Jones, who in the last 20 months since forming the group has worked to achieve 70 convictions

Despite this, many of the unofficial perv hunter groups feel they are sneered at by senior cops and lawyers.

But police chiefs argue that they use tactics which break the law, and can even harm prosecution cases.

Figures show that the courts are relying more and more on the evidence gathered by paedophile hunting groups to convict those who wish to harm children.

A Freedom of Information disclosure revealed that in 2014 11 per cent of court cases seeking to prosecute those accused of meeting a child after sexual grooming used evidence supplied by vigilante groups.

Each year, the courts become more and more reliant on evidence gathered by vigilante groups - and yet they feel like they are under attack from police chiefs

By 2015, this figure rose to 30 percent, and by 2016 it became 44 per cent.

Now, those behind the paedophile stings - which involve adults posing as children online to lure perverts out into the open - claim the figure is "well over" 50 per cent. Official figures are due to be released later this year.

Because the courts are so reliant on the evidence the groups provide, the vigilantes say they are puzzled as to why it was revealed this week that detectives are being told by police chiefs not to work with them.

Cops have been told to ensure they are not seen to endorse their work in any way, and in some cases even investigate vigilantes themselves.

56-year-old perv Karl Banzyni begs paedophile hunters to let him go

Joe Jones, 48, who buys and sells cars for a living while also running Guardians of the North, told The Sun Online: "I have never met a police officer who hasn't thanked us for what we do.

"I've had cops shake my hand and tell us: 'keep it up'. But clearly it's their bosses, the guys at the top, who see something wrong with it.

"But you only have to look at the figures, which show that we are the ones trying to drive paedophiles off the streets.

"The cops are powerless to tackle it on the scale that it is happening."

Mr Jones, who formed the group 20 months ago and since then has achieved 70 convictions in the stings he has worked on, added: "They need us, and the statistics are proof."

Vigilantes claim that they now provide the evidence in more than half of grooming cases that go before the courts in Britain

But cops are increasingly concerned about the popularity of these vigilante groups, and feel their extreme methods could lead to more harm being done than good.

National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Child Protection, Chief Constable Simon Bailey said: "We understand the desire to protect children but any member of the public who has information about child sexual abuse, online or otherwise, should get in contact with the police so we can investigate and bring people to justice.

"So called paedophile hunters are taking risks they don’t understand and can undermine police investigations.

"Most importantly, unlike our officers, they have no way of safeguarding child victims."

He added: “The increase in these groups is symptomatic of the increasing scale of child sexual abuse that police are dealing with.

"It reinforces the need for technology companies to do more to prevent offenders using their platforms to prey on children and for children to be educated about healthy relationships and staying safe online."

Bahram Hosseini, 49, from Pontefract, North Yorkshire, who has received a suspended sentence at Leeds Crown Court after being snared by Guardians of the North when he arranged to meet a 14-year-old boy following grooming

Mr Baker took his life days after being arrested by cops when he fell for a sting set up by TRAP.

A video of the sting was uploaded onto TRAP's social media channels before he could be convicted - however Mr Dure says he does not regret what happened.

He said: "Do I feel bad for a family who have lost a loved one? Of course I do, I have every sympathy because no matter what someone is, they're still family.

"We told the cops not to release him on bail, and so did the family. He needed to be watched because he was in a vulnerable place.

"But at the end of the day, stuff happens. We can't be responsible for what he was. I took the video down for the family, but it is what it is."

Vigilantes at war: How controversial tactics have led to paedophile hunters turning on each other

While TRAP do not live stream their stings on social media like many hunter groups, they do upload videos before suspects can be convicted.

Mr Dure claims this is because it puts increased pressure on the courts to act and dish out tougher sentences.

However Mr Jones, from Guardians of the North, says that he will only ever upload videos post-conviction to ensure justice is served and the court process is not interfered with.

He added: "This is becoming entertainment for some people.

"It's the way the world is going, everyone wants to be a celebrity.

"That's not why we do this. We do this so children can't be abused. Not because we want loads of 'likes' on Facebook."

A National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children spokesman said: “While we have every sympathy for people concerned about suspected abusers, we believe that identifying offenders and investigating crimes is best left to the police.

“When members of the public take the law into their own hands it can run the risk of driving offenders underground, endanger on-going police work and the legal process or result in innocent people being targeted – all of which may put more children at risk of harm.

“If someone has concerns about a child’s safety the best way they can help is to alert the police. By speaking out they may be able to help investigations and contribute vital evidence.”

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